Salma getting treatment at Miami Children’s Hospital last month.
Two weeks after kicking off a fundraising campaign for the owners of Calabash Market, the community has raised more than $9,000 to help off-set medical costs for the family’s daughter.
Mamoun Bayatnah, known to all as Ali, and his wife Mercedes Zapata, called Maria by many, own and operate the popular Calabash Market in Coral Bay. Loyal Calabash Boom customers were worried when they found the store’s doors unexpectedly closed in mid-November.
Bayatnah and Zapata, however, were not on a much-deserved family vacation. The couple was forced to close their store for several days when their five year old daughter Salma was stricken with pneumonia.
The Julius E. Sprauve School kindergartner had been treated for pneumonia on St. John several times and spent about a week at R.L. Schneider Hospital when her lung stopped working. After being told there was nothing more medical staff on St. Thomas could do for the little’s girls condition, the family had no choice but to fly to Miami Children’s Hospital.
Salma and her family spent about a week at the Miami hospital before returning home to St. John on December 1. While the infection in her lung has cleared and her condition has improved, Salma remains ill, Bayatnah explained.
“She is definitely better, but she still has a fever and she’s still not well,” said Bayatnah. “The good thing is that she’s home and she can take antibiotics orally now and does not need to be on an IV.”
The little girl will return to St. Thomas for a check up next week, Bayatnah added.
With the Bayatnah and Zapata family facing mounting medical costs, Leah Randall launched a GoFundMe site at www.gofundme.com/salma on November 21.
After two weeks, the site has raised more than $9,000, with additional donations being accepted. The site’s goal is $15,000 and anyone who wants to help can to go www.gofundme.com/salma to make a donation. Donations for the family are also being accepted at Keep Me Posted.
The amount of support has meant a lot to the family, explained Bayatnah.
“We really appreciate all the help from the community,” he said. “I could not imagine people would be so kind. It is really what keeps us strong.”
“People have been amazing,” Bayatnah said. “People keep coming in an asking for Salma and her friends from school and from Calabash have been bringing her get well cards. Everyone’s love and prayers has been amazing.”
To help the Bayatnah and Zapata family with Salma’s medical bills go to www.gofundme.com/salma.
